Blanks: Let him first cast a stone

Christopher "Brotha" Blanks is a writer, poet, and community activist, founder of B.A.M.M (Black Abolition Movement for the Mind). (Mark Kodiak Ukena/Lake County News-Sun)

Under the Waukegan towing and $500 impoundment ordinance and contracts, most pastors, particularly black pastors of Lake County, have fallen short in raising their voices against such hostile acts of injustice.

Members of the North Shore Baptist Ministers Alliance came out publicly during the Nov. 19 Waukegan City Council meeting to express disappointment against the political appointment of a towing company under a new mayoral administration, and they spoke in support of a better financial position for another contractor.

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Yet not one of the pastors addressing the City Council ever publicly in the past or present addressed the tragic inhuman conditions, suffering, excessive force, human and civil rights violations that have taken place under the towing ordinance, which allows police to seize vehicles and impose a $500 fine on unlicensed and uninsured drivers.

I have concluded that none of these pastors bothered to consider the one of whom they preach every Sunday to ask themselves: What would Jesus do?

But they have chosen to lean to their own understanding of political and financial favor in addressing said matter.

Where were the voices and public outcry of these mighty men of God, as many call them, when our people and the citizens where being raked over the burning hot coals of injustice and literally put through a living hell under the wickedness of the towing ordinance?

Children and mothers were reportedly left on the side of the roads in the pouring rain; citizens allegedly were snatched out of their cars and brutally beaten by police.

It was discovered that many whites and citizens of prestige were able to retain their cars out of impound for little to no money at all, deeming the ordinance discriminatory and racially biased.

Allegedly, cars were illegally towed and destroyed or sold. Such was the case with one working young black mother. The Black Abolition Movement for the Mind Inc. demanded and received a new car of comparable value from the city of Waukegan for the young woman and her baby after the city allegedly sold her car to be auctioned off.

From 2003-10 — and to some degree even to this very day — each and every one of these towing companies, with no exception, literally waxed rich, purchasing newer and bigger towing rigs, and expanding their businesses and personal lives. This was at the expense of the masses of the poor, underprivileged, black and brown citizens of Waukegan and surrounding cities and towns, resulting in many losing their jobs and livelihoods, as thousands of cars were towed under the falsification of public safety.

As the founder of BAM 4 Mind Inc., I stood before the North Shore Baptist Ministers Alliance, including Pastor Arthur Gass of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Pastor Walstone Francis of Shiloh Baptist Church, who were serving on the Waukegan police and fire commission during said time. The alliance also included the Rev. Angelo Kyle, a member of the Lake County Board.

I stood requesting support in protest and venting frustrations concerning the hostile and heavy-handed approach of the police and the unfair enforcement under the towing ordinance. Not a single North Shore Alliance minister seated there lifted their heads, hands nor their voices to do or say absolutely anything to help deliver the citizens from under the oppressive weight of this vicious and malicious so-called towing ordinance, with the exception of Pastor Eugene Roberson of First Corinthian Baptist Church.

The Rev. Arthur DeVost, who last I checked is not a member of the North Shore Baptist Ministers Alliance, has always been on the front line of aiding and assisting in fighting against this matter.

After the North Shore Baptist Ministers Alliance and other local pastors and civil rights organizations such as the Lake County chapter of the NAACP refused to move in addressing these issues, BAM 4 the Mind Inc., along with others, initiated a successful class-action lawsuit over the towing ordinance against the city of Waukegan and its police department, with former police officer and later city clerk Wayne Motely, then-Police Chief William Biang, and the sitting mayor during that time all named in the lawsuit.

The suit was filed in federal court in 2004 in efforts of preventing and ending the racist and social injustices of the towing ordinance. I have absolutely no regard for a single towing company or owners who benefited from such a malicious and wicked so-called ordinance. None of them stopped to ask if it was it wrong to take the car they were towing as they backed up, hooked up and collected checks being cut.

According to published reports, Mr. Ron Rogers, owner of Lake County Towing and whose primary residence is that of Racine, Wis., as recently as 2016 invested in opening a roller skating rink in Wisconsin, which is quite commendable, a positive investment toward the youth and against violence in Racine. I’m all for it anywhere we can provide peace and prevention for our youth. However, I would welcome the same report in seeing the investment of such towing dollars in Waukegan and Lake County for our youth as well.

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Not a single North Shore Baptist Ministers Alliance member in attendance or who addressed the council on Nov. 19 is without sin in this matter, nor in any moral position to cast stones of disappointment from their glass houses of moral degradation and neglect on this issue.

Only congregational members, citizens, sons and daughters of such who were left standing on the side of the roads in the pouring rain or pulled out their cars beaten and violated while pastors remained silent should have the room or reason to express disappointment.

As recently as April 2018, Waukegan High School students and children were unjustly hit with mob action charges by the Waukegan Police Department in an educational environment. Yet, this wasn’t enough to bring these pastors out in public outrage on behalf of our children, nor mention anything regarding them while in attendance at said City Council meeting.

Many of these pastors are seated on the Waukegan school district faith based council, along with Pastor Wade Stevenson.

Unfortunately, and much too often, not all, but many so-called pastors have literally reduced their churches to nothing more than political trap houses — while selling their souls to the highest political bidders or financial supporters.

This column by no means is expressed approval or endorsement of Mayor Sam Cunningham nor any elected officials; I have resided on the southside for 32 years and know better.

However, when pastors step to a public podium or City Council chambers to say, “We represent a strong voting community” as opposed to saying we represent the awesome power and will of God, this in and of itself implies more of political posturing and flexing than serving the will and wishes of a Most High God.

In this matter, “He that is without sin among you … let him first cast a stone.” John 8:7.

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Hotep.

Chris "Brotha" Blanks is the founding chief president of the Black Abolition Movement for the Mind and is an author, poet, actor and performing artist.